[citation needed] William Birch and his wife Ethel helped found the school and William served on the board of trustees; Birch House is named after them.

[2][3] In 1909, the school relocated from Shannon to Calico Line, where it stands today.

Originally a private school, Nga Tawa integrated into the state education system in 1980.

Nga Tawa students participate in a wide variety of sporting disciplines.

Nga Tawa students are represented in a varied array of disciplines and arts, particularly given the significantly smaller student body than most of their local competitors The school previously offered the International Baccalaureate exams (up until the end of the 2013 academic year) as well as the New Zealand NCEA exams.